[Am-info] HP GURU WARNS OF DRM THREAT TO LINUX

[Erick Andrews]

On Fri, 6 Aug 2004 18:04:06 -0400, Gene Gaines wrote:

>On Wednesday, August 4, 2004, 6:10:07 PM, Fred wrote:
>
>> Thanks to MickySoft, this IS a major problem!
>
>> Fred
>> ___________________
>
>> HP GURU WARNS OF DRM THREAT TO LINUX
>
>> Hewlett-Packard's Linux vice president Martin Fink warned LinuxWorld
>> attendees yesterday of the growing threat to Linux and open source
>> from digital rights management technology. Fink said DRM and
>> open-source software are incompatible because of the Digital
>> Millennium Copyright Act.
>
>> http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5295804.html
>
>Bending DRM to attack open source is something like the U.S.
>intending to shoot a bothersome fly and mistakenly shooting off
>the family jewels.
>
>Last time I hear, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was
>enacted only by the U.S. Congress.  Let's it is twisted to
>stop open source and Linux.  In the U.S. and possibly a few
>misguided ally countries.
>
>It is possible that in the U.S. we effectively will be forced to
>use Microsoft products. The rest of the world -- India,
>Malaysia, Russia, China, the other Americas, etc. -- get to go
>forward with open source and thrive.
>
>Whoopee.
>
>Gene
>gene.gaines@gainesgroup.com

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that the Digital Millennium 
Copyright Act requires any hardware manufacturer to build to such --
what's the word? -- un-innovative or restrictive hardware standards.

It seems to me that the argument still centers on fair use, and possibly
First Amendment rights; what I do with my data is my business.

If I'm right, let the DRM proponents build their own parallel universe 
and sink into a black hole.

Erick